PSA: the fall splitmeet will start on Saturday October 21.
Meanwhile, please recommend a great book to add to our fall reading lists, and tell us what fragrance we should wear while reading it.
Or, as always, just talk about something else.
Since the summer reading poll, I've read...
On the fiction front, I read The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (and this is the one I will scent, with Guerlain Après L’Ondée), The Cabal & Other Stories by Ellen Gilchrist, and Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead. I started but didn't finish The Romantic by William Boyd, which was a surprise since I've usually enjoyed his writing, and ditto with Kate Atkinson's short story collection, Normal Rules Don't Apply, although I probably read about half the stories.
For non-fiction, I am still very slowly working my way through William Morris: A Life for Our Time by Fiona MacCarthy. I also read two books in Deborah Levy's "living autobiography" series...The Cost of Living and Real Estate. Kevin has been recommending Levy to me for years, and these were wonderful. I will try her fiction at some point. And I read The Afterlife, a book of essays by Penelope Fitzgerald.
For mysteries/thrillers, I finished The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths, then Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason (the latter was recommended by Calypso). I started the next in that series, Silence of the Grave, but it was too upsetting for my current frame of mind and I didn't finish it. I may go back to that series later. I read an oldie, ECR Lorac's Post After Post-Mortem, before starting the Slough House series by Mick Herron*, which I'm almost done with (Slow Horses, Dead Lions, Real Tigers, Spook Street, London Rules and Joe Country, so far). I also read Ann Cleeve's Raging Storm, and I've just started Richard Osman's The Last Devil to Die.
* Highly recommended, by the way. If you have access to the New Yorker, see Is Mick Herron the Best Spy Novelist of His Generation? from November 2022, or see Author Mick Herron: ‘I’d have made an awful spy. I don’t have a smartphone or wifi’ at The Guardian.
Note: top image is Turning the Pages of The Art of Looking Sideways [cropped] by Bill Smith at flickr; some rights reserved.
I don’t read nearly as much as I used to, but just yesterday I finished “Gay Berlin” by Robert Beachy, a history of the gay rights movement in Germany from about 1895 to the rise of the National Socialists, who burned and razed and destroyed everything they could. But they couldn’t burn it all: for forty years, Berlin was such a fevered whirlpool of scientific research, changing mores, and hedonism that literally everything we think of as modern sexuality — of all stripes — began there. Heck, they even had a pre-internet Tinder: nightclubs had telephones that let you call another table to flirt with a stranger and pneumatic tubes to send them messages and little gifts.
In a few hours we’re headed off to Paris, and I’m weirdly nervous: we haven’t travelled seriously in almost four years and I’m out of practice. Just finished packing and we’re tying up all the loose ends. We’ll be on the road for a little over two weeks: Paris, then Zurich (for a day), Berlin, and Amsterdam. Wish us luck!
Wearing Clinique Chemistry, a sophisticated men’s chypre that I’m fairly confident wouldn’t offend anybody.
Have a wonderful trip!
Good luck, safe travels and have a fantastic trip! Enjoy everything!
Will your trip contain a lot of sniffing around? Mine did when I went to Paris.
Some sniffing for sure! Definitely going to the newer Serge Lutens boutique at Saint-Honoré, and possibly to the Fragonard store. Berlin has some places I might find myself at — a Douglas or two if nothing else — and Amsterdam is a wild card. It won’t be a focus of the trip, but it’s going to happen.
Pyramus, are you familiar with the Frau Tonis line? I’ve been wanting to try a few for quite a while, but I don’t think they have any distribution in the U.S.
What an exciting trip, have a wonderful time!
Have a great trip!
Sending smooth and safe travel wishes your way!✈️
Have a great trip. Enjoy Paris!!
Good luck getting there without too much hassle, and I hope you have a wonderful time!
Have a wonderful and safe trip!
Good luck on the travel and have a wonderful time!
Have a wonderful trip!
My friend brought me some Bien-Aime samples that I loved if you wish to check their perfumes, also 100Bon has an affordable perfume Jasmin&Musc at Samaritaine by Jean Claude Ellena and his daughter Celine Ellena which is to die for.
Safe travels!Do report when you can!
XO’s
Have a wonderful time!!
Safe travels, and have a most enjoyable time!
Safe travels and enjoy!
Wishing you safe travels – and no delays! Enjoy’
Happy weekend!
Fiction – I just discovered this and maybe some of you have already read it, a suspense novel: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. I would wear something dark, MFK Oud Satin Oud or TF F-ing Fabulous.
Non-Fiction – Re-reading and recommend to those that love makeup and history: Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge. To pair: Cartier La Panthère Parfum (because, fabulous) or FM Lipstick Rose.
Then She Was Gone was a great book, but then again most of her books are pretty well done.
I always look forward to reading polls…have happily enjoyed a lot of those mentioned over the years. I don’t have much to contribute, though, right now.
Didn’t gain CP points yesterday. Shalimar MT, because temps dropped. Market was crazy busy, which was fun in many ways. All hands on deck. Owner bagging groceries and carrying out to the parking lot, when she wasn’t doing checkout. I received a nice compliment – customer told me I was very pleasant and efficient. That’s my goal!
My Cinema EdT arrived, so that’s my SOTD. Heading up to the town’s Pumpkin Patch festival soon, even though it’s only about 50 and windy. We will decide later if we will go hear music tonight. Some good football games on, so we will make a game time decision.
Hope the pumpkin patch festival was great fun, and you’re doing whatever was most tempting tonight 🙂
Nothing to contribute to the reading list. SOTD is DSH December (even though it is October). I always had applied this one sparingly in order to eke out my little mini bottle, but now that my FB has arrived, I can apply with abandon, so I wanted to see how it was when I wore more than a few drops. One reviewer on Fragrantica did not care for this one because it is “too literal”, but that is exactly why I love it. It captures all the scents we tend to associate with December and Christmas–spices, wood, evergreens, incense, vanilla, orange–without any one of them dominating. It is as if I am sitting by the tree in front of a blazing fire, drinking hot spiced tea and eating Christmas cookies, while burning incense.
Meanwhile, I have on one hand a dab of vintage Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass from a tiny bottle of extrait that finally made its way to my house. It *only* took nine days for USPS to ship it from CA to Houston, then back to CA, then back again to Houston and finally to my house. I had tried to think of rational reasons for it to have been sent back to the origin facility, and had though perhaps the address had become illegible. After all, we did have a LOT of rain this week; maybe the sender’s address was legible, but mine was not, so they had to send it back? It turns out that is not the case at all; the label is perfectly legible. What did happen is that the sender used too small a box, so that the label wraps around one of the edges. The sender’s address in on the top, while my address is on the adjacent side. Most likely, at some point someone in Houston misread the sender’s address as the recipient’s address and sent it back to CA. The takeaway from this is to always use a box large enough to allow the shipping label to be placed flat on the top of the box, not wrapping around an edge. Around 4″ x 6″ seems to be the minimum size needed.
Blue Grass is one of the perfumes I remember from my mother’s dressing table, and I also had a bottle of it many years ago. So far it is not triggering a scent memory as I expected. Perhaps it is a matter of it being extrait; My mother’s bottle and mine were most likely EdT.
In other news, I managed to catch an avocados during the 15 minute window when it was just the perfect degree of ripeness.
I’m glad your package arrived.
Happy to hear that your wayward package finally arrived!
It’s just such a helpless feeling to watch it wandering around when I just want to yell at someone “NO! Over here! It needs to be delivered here!”.
I’m glad you finally got your package.
Wasn’t the rain glorious? I got back in town on Tuesday evening and the drive home seemed so peaceful after the rain.
According to TWC, we got 8 inches this past week, which sounds about right. It came in the best possible way too–spread out over several days, with breaks now and then to let it soak in.
I love EA Blue Grass; my scent memories are all of many wonderful camping trips to the beautiful Bluegrass State, Kentucky.❤️
It’s a nice fall day. A dark cloud drops some rain then the sunshine blinks back out from the blue sky and it’s very cool. We always hold out as long as possible before turning on the furnace but this might be the weekend.
Still no books, just reading NPR off the internet and that’s about all I can handle.
Wearing my beloved Black Cashmere today.
I’m having the same weather here. I suspect I will have to turn the furnace on too. It’s going to stay in the 50s all week.
SOTD is TF Black Orchid.
As most of you know, my favorite genre is thrillers/suspense and I do have a few of those I would recommend this quarter. They are:
1. The Block Party by Jamie Day
2. Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
3. The Whisperers by Ashley Audrain
4. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
5. None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
6. Drowning by T.J. Newman
7. The Coworker by Frieda McFadden
I read one historical fiction that has been on best seller lists for years that many people like titled The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
The non-fiction book I read I mentioned the other day. It was written by a friend and college classmate of mine who is a retired geriatric nurse, like me, and writes about what life can be like after turning 60. She delves into the “the third act” of one’s life. The title is Turning: The Magic and Mystery of More Days. It discusses the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of her life. It was timely for me as I turn 65 in December.
I loved 7 Husbands…what a great read!
I didn’t like it as well as you did, but I think it was because my expectations were so high. Every time I turned around I saw it on some bestseller list.
Kris, have you ever read any of Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series? I tend to skip over the bloody parts but the plots and writing are very good.
I have read some of his books, but not the Orphan X series. Will need to try them out. Thanks.
Your friend’s book sounds quite interesting!
The fall reading reading list–In summer, I reported that I was re-reading Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin sea saga. I’m now reading them for the third time, and getting much more of the humor than before, when I had to look up all the unfamiliar nautical terms. I think I would scent the whole series with Atelier Mistral Patchouli.
I’ve also read Lisa See, “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” though really you can’t go wrong with any of her books. I finished The Running Grave, Robert Galbraith, Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide (it was quite funny), and the whole Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series by Nathan Lowell for my SF fix. In non-fiction, I read Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages (Roald Dahl was horrible before he got famous on his own), What the Dead Know, about a NYC death investigator working for the Medical Examiner’s office, and Exit Interview by Kristi Coulter, an Amazon executive for more than a decade. I’m currently reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk, Susan Casey’s “The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean,” and “The Queen’s Fortune,” by Allison Pataki. “The Queen’s Fortune” tells the story of Desiree Clary, who was once engaged to Napoleon and ended up the Queen of Sweden. The story was formerly told in “Desiree” by Annamarie Selinko that I read a long time ago, and so far Ms. Selinko is a much better storyteller.
I am wearing Lolita Lempicka today.
I still remember the old movie Desiree with Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons.
I have the Galbraith book on hold and will patiently wait the months before it’s bailable….
I remember the movie, too. Brando was miscast and Jean Simmons had a stilted line delivery in every single one of her films. But it must have made money because they were paired again in “Guys and Dolls.”
Hello all-I am command but my sweater smells like Neroli Outrenoir
What is your favorite L’Art & La Matière scent?
To Be Read Pile:
Tom Lake (which I could not get into but am putting off to the side.)
Nora Goes of Script
The Glass Castle
Someone Else’s Shoes
The Guest
Cleopatra & Frankenstein
Speaking of Frankenstein, the library put in a small exhibit for Mary Shelly-and I have been learning so much. These days were have so many exhibits, and enjoying the wealth of knowledge at NYPL.
I did end up liking Tom Lake. IMHO The Glass Castle was good, but not great. I admit I am a hard critic.
I will put that one on the bottom of the pile then
My favorite A&M scent changes regularly, but generally rotates around the vanillas: Cuir Beluga, Angélique Noire, Spiritueuse Double Vanille and Tonka Impériale. I’m also enjoying Bois d’Arménie and Santal Pao Rosa quite a lot.
Tonka Impériale Is very nice – Shalimar Tonka flanker reminds me a bit of TI. Today I am wearing encens mythique and I like the Iris one too.
Thanks for you suggestions
SOTD = Lush Cardamom Coffee
So good – cardamom, coffee and rose! TBH, I did not quite get it the first time I wore it but from the 2nd time onwards, it went on the “I really should wear this more often” bucket.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyG31h4xuXP/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
To answer jalapeño, I liked the butter chicken as it was only slightly spicy. I even brought home some leftovers!
Foxbins and happy888cat, thanks for the recommendation. You never know if and when I may change my mind!
Lillyjo, I say never say never!
In other news, I heard from my sister that my niece will stay in the hospital until Monday. She is doing well but again, I think they are taking precautions due to the blood disorder and I’m glad for their cautiousness!
You smell great! My dog likes that perfume and licks me when I wear the solid. 🙂
Glad to hear that you enjoyed something at the restaurant!
Butter chicken is something that I would personally recommend to people unfamiliar with or unsure about Indian food.
I’d recommend saag paneer also – stewed spinach with mild, non-melty cheese cubes. No spice and so good.
I adore saag paneer! I also like aloo gobi, potatoes and cauliflower.
And we can’t forget garlic naan! Any naan, for that matter, but I love it with the garlic.
I would suggest tandoori chicken and lamb or chicken korma. They tend to be on the milder side. I love Indian food as long as it is not too hot. I always request it mild if there is an option.
I do have some serious wanderlust! Must be the Sagittarius in me. 😉
The internet has completely destroyed my ability to read a book, but I did start reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. He is a surgeon who realizes that the way we care for our elderly (at least here in America) is not a good way.
Wearing Dryad, for the vintage style that many of his patients would likely have worn in their younger years.
I’m in the same boat wrt internet and reading. Attention span is shot. But I very much enjoyed Being Mortal.
Same here!
As a nurse, I very much enjoyed Being Mortal as well. I read it many years ago when it first came out.
Absolutely agree with you about the internet and reading.
I loved his pieces in the New Yorker, have read quite a few, and especially appreciated the stories about his father. I should get that book.
Commando except for the Fox in the Flowerbed soap I used after my workout.
Finishing books…something I feel like I don’t do that often. I did finish two in the 3rd quarter: The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, and The Wager by David Grann. I’m part way through Jen Gunter’s Menopause Manifesto, as well as The Slow AF Run Club (yes, I am five weeks back into running, and I am slow AF but doing it), and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. I’ve never read any Butler before now — was never really into hard core sci fi, but this one is feels eerie in some of its predictions about today’s world. I’m enjoying it quite a bit, but reading it slowly because…sometimes it’s just too close to real life.
I bought the Wager for my better half, it got a lot of love!
Yep, my better half bought it first, and then I read it. (He’s a sucker for maritime histories, as his family has a long maritime tradition.)
Did you like The Candy House? I keep thinking about getting that one, but never do.
I did like it — I thought it had some interesting things to say about the social media-dominated world we live in. That said, it’s not staying lodged in my brain quite like “Parable of the Sower” has, even in its half-finished state.
I just completed a full reorganization of the perfumes. Found some bizarre duplications – 3 bottles each of SL Fleur d’Oranger and Papillon Bengal Rouge, all in various states of use, none in boxes. I also need to get some plastic organizers for all the decants. I really hate decants because I can never remember what I have, where it is, or think of wearing it. Next step is to take a complete inventory so I know what I have here vs. what I have in San Diego. I’m wearing spritzes of various things I found while sorting. Last night I wore Baume du Doge, which I hadn’t worn in eons – what a beautiful scent that is. I need to bring Bois d’Ombrie and Sienne L’Hiver back here as well, I think they are better suited to the climate in Montréal.
Jealous of your duplicates! Two beautiful ones. I feel the same way about decants. I never remember what i have.
I agree about the decants, I have so many and they are everywhere!!
I have the same issues with decants. When possible, I prefer minis, the type that are miniature versions of the bottles used for the FBs. I can recognize the bottle shape, so I remember what I have without having to read a bazillion labels. Decants are handy for travel, though. I also have made decants of bottles that I have given or swapped away, if only to be able to remind myself why I didn’t like it.
I have a spreadsheet with my perfume inventory. It lists all my FBs and minis, including the size, concentration, and when I bought it. Not all my decants are in it yet, but I need to complete that part. I also have a worksheet listing everything I have swapped or given away, so I don’t make myself crazy looking for a bottle I don’t have anymore. When I either get rid of or finish something, I remove it from the inventory list. I don’t bother documenting samples, however, as there are too many of them and it would be too much maintenance to keep up with them. On another worksheet, I keep a record of my own perfume reviews of things I have tried. I include a brief description of how it smells to me and what I thought of it, and a rating from 0 to 5 of how well I liked it. That way, I don’t waste money repurchasing samples of things I hated the first time. It also helps me to remember why I gave/swapped away a bottle.
I am not quite that organized but I do have a typed log by year listing the full bottles I bought each year going back to 2005 when I first started getting into perfume. If I get rid of a bottle, I take it off. It is interesting to see the evolution of my taste over that period. A lot of what I bought pre 2015 or so I rarely wear now.
Samples I have organized alphabetically in little ziplock bags.
I like having them in a spreadsheet because I can search, sort, and edit as I wish. I have another page on which I keep a record of what I bought each quarter and how much I paid, for damage poll purposes as well as for my own info. I also have worksheets for swaps (what I swapped away, what I got in return, and who I swapped with) and freebies (what I gave away and to whom), lists of perfumes I am interested in sampling, a potential “to buy” list, and so on.
I did so many spreadsheets when I was working, I’m resistant to doing it now. But my husband is pushing me to do it.
For me, it’s that I did so many spreadsheets when I was working that it just seems like the natural way to keep track of things.
Happy weekend!
SOTD!
Thameen Bravi.What a gorgeous,easy tuberose!I also think if you normally shy away from tuberose do give this one a try.Very well done(and another lemming for a fb is born!)
On my TO-READ LIST:.
On its way is Uproar! by Alice Loxton.I enjoy her insights on British history on The History Channel and insta so much,and she wrote this book about the cartoonists and illustrators of(I think) the Georgian era.
On my nightstand is Mirage by David Ralph Viviers,a south african writer and actor.The plot resonated so much with me,I would love to read on(I finished chapter one,cannot wait to explore further)
“Spare” is still gathering dust…
XO’s
Spare is still collecting dust at my house as well. One day we will get to it😂
😂
Under a Flaming Sky by Daniel James Brown. After the Maui disaster I was compelled to read about the Hinkley MN fire of 1894 which killed over 400 people, the worst fire disaster in America. I know, sounds depressing. But it’s the kind of read that’s hard to put down, unexpected heroes, bad or lucky decisions, families who live or perish at the turn of fate.
I refuse to be flippant and suggest a “smokey” scent, I think a book like this needs a comfort scent to make you feel safe. I’d choose Cuir Beluga by Guerlain. Soft, subtle and close to the skin.
Young Men and Fire was also really hard to put down, and I read it when it came out in the 90s and it has stayed with me all these years. And would not have read it if I hadn’t already loved A River Runs Through It.
Not sure I am up for another fire book, but just saying I understand how gripping it can be.
I picked up Flaming Sky because I loved his earlier book, The Boys in the Boat. It’s not for everyone, but if you like historical nonfiction, it’s really engrossing.
Currently commando, will wear something a bit later.
I do not have any books to suggest, but may I recommend this video series, especially to US NSTers – “30 Days of US Healthcare” – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpMVXO0TkGpdvjujyXuvMBNy6ZgkiNb4W
All videos in the series are very short (1-2 min long), and they are both funny and scary at the same time.
Ugh. Will try to look at it tomorrow but seems like I am already living the nightmare, LOL…
I understand. Maybe I should have added a warning that these videos are also kind of depressing. In the author’s words, “funny, educational and a bit infuriating”.
I’m very familiar with this man and he’s spot on! Really, we need a revolution but no one wants to be bothered until they’re in the hospital and can’t get there call bell answered or have services denied by insurance. Then there’s all kinds of bi*ching and complaining. People really need to educate themselves about healthcare in this country, which is run by what amounts to the Medical Mafia.
Their*
I wondered if you knew him! Maybe as more people learn about this, things will start to change.
Encens Mythique
Thumbing through the paper this morning
You smell fabulous, I love that one too.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/review-the-poet-and-the-vampyre-the-curse-of-byron-by-andrew-mcconnell-stott/2014/10/29/5895acfe-54b3-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html
This is a book I really enjoyed. About Shelley, Byron and co. During the summer spent in Geneva, 1816, leading up to Frankenstein. It’s more about the entire group of guests rather than just Mary Shelley but it’s an easy read and really captures the atmosphere and rivalries etc.
I have been all about Shelly as we have a new exhibit up. Meeting with the curators this week to go over! Exciting times
I will look into this
Wearing SL Fille en Aiguilles. Was very happy to discover two vintage 50ml bottles of this in my stash yesterday.
That’s amazing!
Your stash is full of surprises!
I’m so impressed by everyone’s reading! And I really appreciate the recommendations, especially because I’m also a fan of good murder mysteries. I’m sorry, Robin, that the second Indridason book was too disturbing for you. Did you like Jar City? I kind of forget that Scandi noir is often very dark and violent. There’s quite a good movie of Jar City (in Icelandic). Here’s a Youtube video trailer for it: it’s in Icelandic with subtitles, and the visual quality isn’t good, but it’s superb at conveying the uncanny atmosphere of the story and the unique tones of Icelandic. The actor playing Inspector Erlendur is great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSdkE6CX9n4
It looks like you can actually watch the entire film on Youtube! I recommend it.
Anyway I have not been reading very much lately, I guess because I tend to watch the news on MSNBC compulsively, work on my painting and drawing, and spend my late evenings on K-dramas. (The latest one I found amazing was Devil Judge. Watch the first three episodes before making a decision about it. Orwellian political satire and suppressed homoerotic attraction between two exceptionally handsome guys.)
I am reading a book now for my Zoom book club, The Bridge, by Serbian writer Ivo Andric. He won the Nobel Prize for it. It’s a vast sweeping epic about the building of a stone bridge between two villages in the period of the Ottoman Empire, and the subsequent history and events and characters. It delves into the roots of the Bosnian-Serbian conflict. The writing is remarkable and it seems to be beautifully translated, with long flowing evocative sentences. Warning: it includes one narrative of especially gruesome violence, so it’s not for everyone. I haven’t finished it yet but have been assured there’s nothing that bad in the rest of the volume.
Next on my list are the two newer novels of Knausgaard; I only have just learned he’s got a new series started, and I did make it through his huge strange multi-volume My Struggle, so now want to do these newer books.
I don’t know for sure how I would scent the Andric novel. Maybe something with rose and oud and smoke. Or the smell of bread baking. My Indigo Smoke might work. Something that evokes a big and sometimes dangerous rushing river? The wooden scaffolds and giant stones of a bridge under construction? I’m stumped. There’s markets and cook fires and wood-cutting, and celebratory festivals; I feel the novel does conjure up many sensory images as you go through it.
Prayers for everyone suffering in the horrible new war.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ismail-kadare/the-three-arched-bridge/
I can really recommend Kadare’s Three Arched Bridge, a kind of companion piece to Andric
I liked Three Arched Bridge a lot!
Thank you for that recommendation!
The Bridge sounds interesting — pretty sure I read about it when he won the Nobel Prize and then never got back to it. Noting it for my list…
Do not be sorry! I did like Jar City. And it is weird how some kinds of violence are too much or too dark or too tense (the second in that series was spousal abuse) and others don’t bother me (the Slough House series are spy thrillers & there is tons of violence). I definitely have a much lower threshold than I used to though.
I have kind of gotten out of the habit of reading for some reason and really need to get back into it. I have The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood on my night stand waiting to be read. Just finished rewatching Tales of Yanxi Palace.
Finished my cleaning list and took my shower. Now I have to go grocery shopping and make a pot of chili and corn muffins. Lyric is my SOTD.
Can I please come over? All I have on hand is some frozen dinners and cans of tuna. (sniff, sniff)
It’s been cold enough to make for good reading weather
Some very good Australian novels by two of my favourite authors
Charlotte Wood’s Stine Yard Devotional. Quiet and beautiful written.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/03/stone-yard-devotional-by-charlotte-wood-review-a-masterful-novel-of-quiet-force?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Melissa Lucashenko, Edenglassie, an Aboriginal novelist https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/current-issue/994-october-2023-no-458/11109-jeanine-leane-reviews-edenglassie-by-melissa-lucashenko
Also Chris Hammer has a new police thriller, set in outback Australia called Five, in reference to the big five (white) land holders, set across several time frames and very readable.
NONFICTION
A British watchmaker has writtten a book about her craft, will appeal to anyone who liked The Hare with Amber Eyes. It’s called The Hands of Time , Rebecca Struthers.
Elixir, by Theresa Leverett, about perfume and chemistry, a history centred around Parisian chemists in the 1830s. Really good
Anna Keay, Restless Republic, about the period of the 1650s when Britain was a republic. Fantastic writing and really interesting focus on what was happening in different areas of life, e.g. printing/ publishing
I am especially interested in the Lucashenko novel. I’ll see if I can find it. Thank you for all of these interesting sounding recommendations.
As always, thank you Kanuka! Making a note to go back and investigate several of those.
Oh so very late to the party. We were in the No Phone Zone at a sweet spot on the Rio Grande. Now back to semi-civilization due to sketchy internet service. I have worn Montalé Arabians Tonka all weekend, whether I wanted to or not! 😂 This stuff does not leave your skin or your clothes until you thoroughly wash, which I have not done. Yet.
As far as books are concerned I was watching the CB Strike series until I stopped NetFlix, and completely forgot about it until Foxbins mentioned it a while back. I have since been listening to them on Audible, and OF COURSE the books are 95% better than the TV adaptation. I’ll be starting book 3 as soon as I’m in a place I can download it.
As for paper books, I’ve been loving Cafe Neandertal by Beebe Bahrami. It takes place in the Dordogne region as a group of scientists (including anthropologists, and other scientists who specialize in diet, language, symbolism, etc.) gather together at a dig site in a cave and try to solve the mystery that left two men, two women, and a child dead in one of the many caves in that area. These are not modern humans like us, but another branch of the same tree, all of them being neandertals. Although the book is anchored there, the author takes you on momentous side trips to Spain, Portugal, Israel, Eastern Europe, always bringing the story back home to the Dordogne region. It’s also a great insiders view of all these scientists meeting every evening, cooking and eating, drinking, discussing theories and ideas about our ancient selves, not to mention spectacular passages of the natural beauty of the area.
My favorite part is the discussion of the idea and definition of “smart” by comparing cro-magnon and neandetals. It’s summed up like this: Neandertals were flexible in their thinking and behavior. If they were in an area with generous amounts of flint, they exploited its positive attributes. If that group moved on to a different area where there was no flint, but a ton of quartz, they adapted to the use of quartz, though this may mean learning differences in hunting and concomitant behaviors. Their biggest attribute is the ability to adapt. Cro-Magnons are not as adaptable. Instead of making use of what was in their environment, they would send parties out to find stones and other environmental items that they were used to and had previously used, to be brought back by this small group. This presents innumerable hazards to the entire group. Their (our) thinking was (is) inflexible. Instead of adapting to their environment, they changed the environment to suit their needs. And here we are, in a hot hot environmental mess!
Hope everyone’s weekend was fab!
That Neanderthal story sounds amazing! Thanks!
I found it on Amazon and just ordered it for my Kindle!
Oh great! I hope you enjoy it! 😀
I’m also fascinated by the Neanderthal story — going to look it up and see if I can get it from the library.
Another interesting theory I read was that because of our inflexible thinking, we developed the whole idea of a “creator” which gives us (cro-magnon) control over the world and justifies how we alter it. Food for thought! I hope you’re able to get it and enjoy it. 😊
Hi everyone! I love seeing what everyone is reading.
I’m trying Tom Ford F’king Fabulous today, and sorry to say I don’t think it’s fabulous. It has that acrid note of Bulgari Black that I just don’t like.
Anyway, I’m reading Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. It’s really interesting so far.
I listened to the murder mystery The Suspect by Fiona Barton during a long drive this summer, and that was entertaining enough.
I also read The Rooster House by Victoria Belim of boisdejasmin, which was great.
I wish I didn’t have to go to work tomorrow, wah! My weekends off go by way too fast.